Alfred James Dixon: Biography by Chris Dixon
Note: This is a sub-section of Alfred James Dixon
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The story that follows is mainly drawn from personal reminiscences of his children and from one of his very good friends who I was able to talk to back in the early 1970s when I started this research - "Mac" (MacFarlane of Honey Lane, Waltham Abbey. Alfred James - Jimmy to his friends, or AJ in the press of his time, managed to live his short life to the full but died early, before his full potential could be uncovered. He lived fast and he lived hard. But above all, he had fun, until cancer took over his life.
His father wanted him to be an engineer and so, like his father, he joined the railways and went to trade school.
Mac described him as “6 feet tall and 14 stone. As a child he was very blonde, but later it developed into soft reddy-brown hair. He had a red beard. He was a popular man with everyone, yet stern. He was a blunt man, calling a spade a spade but never bitched about anything,” Mac said. “He had plenty of girl-friends, most notably an Irish/American girl called Ann, and another called Dorothy who lived next door to the White House, at the “Old Forge”. Her father was a farrier.”
Family stories say that Jimmy had a zest for life and was always tinkering with machinery. He was closely associated with the Singer Motorcycle Company - whether he was employed by them is unknown. Mac told me that he loved speed, fast cars and aeroplanes, and even went so far as to have a go at building his own aircraft which he kept on Tottenham marshes. He was keen on travelling and saw much of the Continent, venturing as far as Russia.”
He certainly mixed with some of the pioneers of the motor industry. He was a passionate motorcycle pioneer, cyclecar racing driver, an inventor, a family man. He was gregarious, could play the piano and had an excellent singing voice and was said to be the life of any party.
War broke out in August 1914 and this put paid to Jimmy's motorcycle career. He joined the army. He served in France in the Royal Engineers 101 (City of London) Engineer Regiment in September 1915 but was discharged 4 May 1916. I believe that he was injured and this may have led to his early death in 1935. His regimental number was 117224. He was awarded the Victory, British and Star medals.
Mac said that he has been a dispatch rider at the front, skidding through the mud and the dust between headquarters and the trenches. He had tried to join the Royal Flying Corps, but he was too heavy.
In the early 1920s, Jimmy and Jack moved back to Enfield, where he now had the license to run the White House pub. Gertrude worked in the bar and did the books. Mac was a regular visitor and reported to me that they were he and Jimmy were keen amateur radio buffs - called HAM radio.
Jimmy's call sign was G6PD and he was transmitting before it became necessary to hold a licence. He was a member of the North Middlesex Wireless Club. Jimmy attended the 3rd Annual Conference of Affiliated Wireless Societies and had a letter published in the 1922 Wireless World magazine where he made a number of resolutions.
Mac also said that every available space in the pub was crammed with parts for his cars and motorcycle and radio- every cupboard, in the cellar, on the stairs and the roof.
Jimmy sold two of the 10 houses that his father had left him and turned his attention from motorcycle racing to car racing. - see Part 3. But he was also an inventor. Mac said that he invented all sorts of things, including a home-made refrigerator, a clock out of a shell case, and he experimented with making ice cream out of a vinegar barrel. When cats made too much noise on the roof of his house, he set up an electric charge to give them a buzz. Later he used the same techniques on the local lads who would urinate against the side of his corrugated iron shed - the story goes that it did the trick!
It was in Enfield that he joined the Freemasons. He very quickly rose through the ranks and became Worshipful Grand Master at Theobalds Lodge
Jimmy stood for parliament in behalf of the Conservative party in the 1923 general election, but was beaten by William Henderson, Labour Party.
He also took flying lessons and was close friends with Paddy Flynn. Mac said that his circle of friends included Paddy Flynn, Alan Cobham, “Eddy' Richard Seagrave, Dick Seamen and the Prince of Wales. Paddy was one of the first pilots of Imperial Airways, which later became BOAC then BAC.
Paddy, his son (my dad) remembers watching Jimmy walk on the wings of an Avro 504K at Clacton- on-sea in a plane piloted by Paddy Flynn. This may or may not have been part of the Circus.
The family moved from Enfield to Clacton-on-Sea, Essex in 1928. I don't know why they moved. Phyl told her son Tony, that they moved to Clacton for financial reasons as her dad, Jimmy, was a playboy and spent money like water. Jimmy and Jack bought Mazzolini's Cafe and Jack ran the cafe, which was very busy in the summer, leaving Jimmy time to pursue his hobbies in the winter. The photo below shows Mr Mazzolini outside his shop in Station Road, Clacton. They continued the name of Mazzolinis. It was a restaurant, confectioner and ice cream parlour.
I do believe that they also owned and ran the Criterion restaurant.
The family didn't live in Clacton, but in Frinton- on-Sea, a town that allowed no pubs in it! They had a lovely house called Sans Souci.
He was elected president of the Clacton on Sea Chamber of Commerce in 1931. They held their Annual meeting and reported that membership stood at 140-a record! There were 3 nominations for presidency and Mr.A J Dixon was elected."
Tragedy struck when Jimmy fell ill with cancer. It was cancer of the stomach. He had spent his youth in pubs - a very unhealthy environment, and all of his life around cars and motorcycles. Add to that he was a heavy smoker and drinker. He underwent an operation in London to remove it, but he suffered a relapse and had to give up work...and fun.
Jimmy's motorcycle career
After finishing his apprenticeship, and as soon as he could, Jimmy obtained wheels - Mac told me that he bought a second-hand motorcycle and learned to ride it. He then started riding in competitions. Last time I was in England I spent a few happy hours trawling through motorcycling magazines in a library in Coventry, but I didn't have enough time to search all of Jimmy's life.
In 1914, when his father died, he gave up work to concentrate on his racing career.
Mac told me that Jimmy not only rode motorcycles, but had an active part in developing some technology that was incorporated into new models. He has a close working relationship with Singer Motorcycles. And he travelled all over Europe in his pursuit of speed and glory.
Family tradition told us that Jimmy was part of the Singer company, and was employed by them for racing motorcycles and cars This has been verified in Motor Sport's article “Mud in the Midlands”. It states that “Trade drivers were taking an interest, such as, if I am not mistaken, Gunner Poppe (A7), Mead (Rhode), Brittain with the "Snowden Ranger BSA and Al Dixon (Singer 10”).
Christopher Dixon. PO Box 1939. Katherine, NT 0851. Australia cjadixon@hotmail.com
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ 20100114CD